Forbes Asia announced on Thursday its annual list of leading philanthropists in the Asia-Pacific region, which included Ramon S. Ang, president and chief executive officer of San Miguel Corp. (SMC).
Mr. Ang is among the 15 business leaders recognized for “donating from their own fortunes and giving personal time and attention to their select causes,” Forbes Asia said in an e-mailed press statement.
During the September inauguration of a San Miguel Foundation (SMF) community center in Tondo, Mr. Ang pledged to donate P500 million to aid the government of Manila in building schools for underserved communities.
This is also in line with one of SMC’s targets to uplift the lives of at least 15 million people by 2030, he noted in the company’s sustainability report last year.
“I strongly believe that empowering a wide range of Filipinos with education and skills is key to unlocking the country’s potential,” Mr. Ang said.
“This includes not only the youth but also adults in less privileged areas who seek better jobs or want to start their own businesses,” he added.
Additionally, he contributed over P150 million to scholarship grants and medical aid through his RSA Foundation, according to Forbes.
Separately, SMF has spent P1 billion for the construction of five schools in Metro Manila, P14.8 billion for relief measures during the pandemic, and P3 billion for its Pasig River cleanup initiative, it added.
According to Forbes, its annual Heroes of Philanthropy unranked list “does not include corporate philanthropy except for privately held companies where the individual is a majority owner.”
Other Southeast Asian philanthropists on the list include Vikrom Kromadit, founder and chairman of Amata Corp. (Thailand); Low Tuck Kwong, founder and president director of Bayan Resources (Indonesia); Kwek Leng Beng, executive chairman of City Developments (Singapore); and Eddy Kusnadi Sariaatmadja, co-founder and president commissioner of Elang Mahkota Teknologi or Emtek (Indonesia). — Miguel Hanz L. Antivola